


Sins of the Father

by ChocolatePig



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Legends: Thrawn Trilogy - Timothy Zahn, Star Wars Original Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe - 1920s, Alternate Universe - Gangsters, Alternate Universe - Prohibition Era, F/M, Past Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Past Child Abuse, Pre-Het, Pre-Relationship, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-08-28
Updated: 2018-11-23
Packaged: 2019-07-03 22:39:18
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,577
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15828363
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ChocolatePig/pseuds/ChocolatePig
Summary: In 1920s America, Prohibition is the law of the land, and organized crime rules the streets of Alderaan. Chief of Police Ben Kenobi and Deputy Luke Skywalker are going to put a stop to it, unless a certain redheaded gangster moll has something to say about it.





	1. Chapter 1

Luke had passed the mayor’s office several times in his life, but this was his first time inside. The newly minted deputy followed his boss, Police Chief Ben Kenobi, to the front desk.  
“How can I help you gentlemen?” asked the redheaded secretary.  
“We are here to speak to Mayor Organa,” said Ben.  
“Oh yes,” she said, glancing at the schedule on her desk, “He’s actually running a few minutes late today. If you two don’t mind waiting a bit –“  
“That’s quite alright,” Ben interjected. He took a seat in one of the few chairs and Luke sat beside him as they waited to hear that the mayor was ready.  
Luke hated awkward silences. Actually, he wasn’t very fond of silence in general. The secretary was looking down at the moment, and Luke didn’t want her to catch him staring. She then raised her head and met Luke’s gaze.  
“So,” said Luke, in an effort to break the tension, “How long have you been working here?”  
“Just started a few days ago,” she replied.  
“That’s swell,” Luke said, “I’m Luke Skywalker by the way.”  
“I’m Hazel,” she said with a demure smile.  
“I must apologize for my deputy,” Ben quipped, “He is very green, both in the police force and with the fairer sex.”  
Luke shot Ben a glare as Hazel stifled a giggle. 

A man passed them from the left and headed toward the exit.  
“Looks like Mayor Organa’s meeting has ended,” said Hazel, “I’ll tell him you’re here.” She rose and walked off down the hall.  
“So,” Ben said once she was out of earshot, “You’re gonna ask for her number, right?”  
“Don’t rush me,” Luke grinned.  
Hazel returned from down the hall.  
“The mayor will see you now,” she said, “Please follow me.”  
They followed her down the hall to a door at the end. Hazel opened the door and they entered the mayor’s office.  
“Chief Kenobi, welcome!” greeted Mayor Organa.  
“Thank you for having us Mayor,” said Ben, shaking Organa’s hand “This is my new deputy, Luke Skywalker.”  
“A pleasure to meet you, Deputy Skywalker,” the mayor said as he extended his hand.  
“It’s a pleasure to meet you too, sir,” Luke replied, grasping the mayor’s hand.  
“Would any of you gentlemen like coffee?” asked Hazel.  
“Two sugars please,” said Ben.  
“”Coming right up.”  
“If we can get down to business,” said Organa, taking a seat and motioning for his guests to do the same. 

“Sir,” Ben began, “We have a lead in the mafia case. Our inside man is helping us set up a sting.”  
“That is good news,” said the mayor, “are you planning to flush them out for good?”  
“We hope to get a direct connection to their leader,” said Ben.  
“Your coffee, sir,” Hazel chirped, setting a steaming cup down in front of Ben.  
“Thank you my dear,” said the police chief.  
Hazel caught Luke’s gaze as she walked away and gave him a wink with one of her vibrant green eyes. Oh, she was a dish alright, and unless Luke was mistaken, she was flirting with him.

*********************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************

Mara looked around to ensure she wasn’t being watched before descending the darkened stairwell. She knocked three times on the green wooden door before the panel at the top slid open and a pair of dark eyes greeted her.  
“Well hello there, Miss Mara,” Lando’s melodious voice greeted her. Mara heard the lock clicking and the door opened. She stepped into the dim, smoky atmosphere of the speakeasy.  
“Good to see you, old friend,” Mara said to Lando, “Is he here?”  
“In the back,” Lando told her with a jerk of the head towards the darkened far end of the room. Mara walked to the familiar booth where her boss sat in shadow.  
“There you are, dollface,” crooned Palpatine, “I’ve been waiting.”  
“Nice to see you too, darling,” Mara intoned, “I’ve got big news from the frontlines.”  
“Is the mayor passing a new law to curb usury?” asked Palpatine.  
“Oh, it’s far worse than that, I’m afraid” Mara replied. Ever since she had taken the position of Mayor Organa’s secretary using the alias “Hazel Johnson,” the Death Star Gang had had an insider’s perspective of all that happened at city hall. It aided them mightily in staying one step ahead of the law.  
“The mayor met with Kenobi today,” Mara continued, “He’s closing in on us. He’s got a snitch in our ranks.”  
Palpatine frowned into his drink.  
“I sort of suspected something along those lines. Now that it’s confirmed, I can catch the rat.”  
“There’s something else,” said Mara, “Kenobi has a new deputy, and I think he’s sweet on me. I mean, he’s sweet on ‘Hazel’.”  
“And?”  
“And I think if I can be his girl, we can have an even closer inside connection to the coppers. Just think about it.”  
“Good point. Alright then, see what you can do to get close to this – what did you say his name was?”  
“Skywalker. Luke Skywalker.”  
Mara noticed Palpatine’s eyebrows rise at the mention of the deputy’s name, but she couldn’t muster the courage to ask why.  
“Very well,” said Palpatine, “See what you can do to become Skywalker’s new flame.”  
“I will. It should be like taking candy from a baby,” Mara chuckled.  
***********************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************

The expected knock on Mara’s apartment door came at around two in the afternoon. She opened it to find her cousin greeting her with a smile.  
“I thought you’d fallen off the face of the earth,” Mara teased.  
“I couldn’t come to town without visiting my favorite cousin,” Talon replied.  
Mara stepped aside to let Talon into her apartment.  
“What brings you to town anyway?” she asked.  
“Business,” he said dismissively.  
Mara frowned as she took Talon’s coat.  
“I thought you were out of the kind of ‘business’ that would bring you to the city regularly.”  
“One more job for old time’s sake,” Talon laughed, “Besides, from what I’ve heard you haven’t cut ties with Palpatine yet.”  
“Cutting ties isn’t that easy, Tal. You of all people should know that.”  
Talon’s expression shifted to one of concern as he considered how to answer his cousin.  
“But I did cut them, Mara,” he said.  
“Would you like coffee?” Mara asked, moving toward the kitchenette.  
“Trying to change the subject, huh?” Talon chuckled, “Actually yes, I would like some coffee.” He moved to join her.  
“In all seriousness, are you still in the Death Star Gang?”  
“You think I can just walk away?” Mara asked, turning from the pot of coffee she was making.  
“I know it’s not easy,” Talon sighed, “But is this really what you want to do for the rest of your life?”  
“You know we’ve always had to look out for ourselves,” Mara replied, her voice dropped to an almost apologetic whisper, “Nobody else ever did. Not even when we were kids.”  
“I’m asking you to look out for yourself now, dear cousin.”  
“And I am,” Mara said. I’m Palpatine’s top spy. I’m his eyes and ears. My position is secure.  
“Anyway,” Mara murmured, “Here’s your coffee.”  
***********************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************

“You know what you need to do,” Palpatine told the shadowy figure seated across from him.  
“I know, Boss,” the man replied.  
“Good… good,” Sheev grinned. Mara tipping him off was the best breakthrough he could have asked for. Maybe the dumb broad was good for something after all. Palpatine raised his glass and drank to his prolonged reign.


	2. Chapter 2

Mara stood in front of her vanity mirror and inspected the carefully coiffed finger-waves in her hair. Satisfied with the effect, she leaned closer to carefully apply cherry red lipstick. Perfect, she thought, standing back to admire herself. Perfect bait to reel in Skywalker.   
Tonight was the night of their official first date. It had taken Luke long enough to ask her out. His coyness had started to grate on her nerves. She had even considered asking him out herself, but decided against it, as being too forward tends to scare men away.  
Mara sprayed perfume on her neck. She checked the clock and noted that Luke would arrive soon. Sitting on her bed, she eyed the green dress that hung in her wardrobe. It was not lost on her that the nicest dress she owned was a gift from Palpatine. If she was being honest, she hadn’t been too fond of the frock at first, but Sheev had insisted, telling her how it matched her eyes, and Mara hadn’t wanted to seem ungrateful. All silk and beaded, the dress was too fancy to wear on most occasions, but it was perfect for tonight. Mara slipped on the dress and checked herself over in the mirror one more time before going to wait by the door.   
Finally, the chime of the doorbell signaled that Luke had arrived. Mara opened the door to see him standing there, holding carnations. She had to admit he looked rather dashing.   
“Sorry I couldn’t afford to spring for roses,” he grinned apologetically.   
“They’re lovely,” said Mara, taking the flowers, “I’ll put them in a vase.”   
Luke followed Mara into her apartment, looking around as he did so.   
“So,” Luke asked, “Do you… live here alone?”   
“I suppose I do,” said Mara, her voice hitching a bit, “It’s kind of small for two.”   
“I didn’t mean anything by it,” he added hastily, “It’s just that, well, most girls prefer not to live alone. Any family in the area?”  
“Not in the area, no.”   
“Ah, ok then,” Luke paused, “Shall we get going then?”  
“Yes, let’s,” said Mara grabbing her coat.   
************************************************************************************  
The restaurant was smoky and dimly lit, but fairly nice. Now was the time, Mara thought, to learn more about her target.  
“So Luke,” she began, “How long have you been Deupty?”  
“It’s actually only been about a few months,” Luke answered.   
“You must be one keen copper to be promoted to Deputy at such a young age.”  
“I can’t really take the credit. Chief Kenobi promoted me.”  
“Is he a relation of yours?” Mara asked, twirling pasta around her fork.  
“He might as well be,” Luke grinned.  
“So, a close friend of your family then?”  
“He’s been in my life as long as I can remember. He’s always looked out for me, sort of like a father.”  
Now there was something that caught Mara’s interest. Could it be that she and Luke actually had something in common?   
“Did he look after you as well as your real father did?” she asked.   
Luke’s expression shifted to something more distant and for a moment Mara wondered if she had probed too far and caused him to shut himself off to her. However, Luke soon answered her.  
“I actually never knew my father. He died when I was a baby.”   
There was a pause as Mara considered what to say. This piece of information could be vital to gaining Luke’s confidence.   
“I’m sorry,” she said as sweetly as possible, “And Kenobi, was he close to your father?”  
“Oh yes, in fact, they were on the force together. Ben, er, Kenobi, used to tell me old stories about when they served together when I was young.”   
“Is-is that what made you want to be a cop?”   
“To be perfectly honest, it did influence me. I mean, growing up hearing about what a great man my father was, it was hard not to wish I was also a great man.”   
Mara couldn’t help but smirk as she digested what Luke had told her. Based on that, she inferred that he must be frightfully naïve and starry-eyed. He still had the tone of a gobsmacked child when he spoke of his father. The redhead was incredibly pleased to learn of the intimate nature of her new flame’s relationship with Kenobi. It should be easy to use her relationship with him to gain the confidence of the police chief, even easier than she had initially thought.  
“What about you, Hazel?” Luke’s voice broke into her thoughts, “What can you tell me about your family?”  
“Not much. I’m also an orphan. It was just me and my cousin growing up.”  
“Then who took care of you?”   
“We took care of each other.”  
“But I mean… you had to have someone-“  
“We got by,” Mara interjected, “We had our ways.” Time to redirect the conversation, thought Mara, “I’d like to get to know Ben better,” she said.   
“Really?” Luke raised an eyebrow.   
“Of course. You said he’s like a father to you, and if we’re going to be… courting, then we need a chaperone.”  
Luke’s face broke into a wide smile.  
“An old-fashioned girl,” he said, “I like that.”   
******************************************************************************  
“Once again, thank you for all of your help, Hazel,” said Ben.  
“You are quite welcome,” Mara replied, purposefully inclining her voice toward sweetness as she stacked the remaining files on the shelf to her left, “Your office was certainly in need of organization.” And I was certainly in need of further inside information.   
“Yes, it was, and you did a beautiful job.”  
“That accent of yours, British?”  
“Yes, I was born in Manchester. Moved to the States when I was twenty.”  
“Is that when you met Luke’s father?”   
“It was shortly thereafter, when I enrolled in the Police Academy. So, I take it Luke has already told you about my relationship with his father?”  
“Oh yes, he spoke very highly of you, sir.”  
“He has spoken very highly of you too, my dear.”   
“I’m glad to hear it.”   
Mara was satisfied that she had gained the trust of both the police chief and his deputy. Now, she just needed to find out which of Palpatine’s goons was the stool pigeon working with Kenobi.   
“Still working on the Death Star Gang case?” she asked.   
“Yes, it’s coming along.”   
“Your inside man must be very good at gathering information,” she probed.   
“He is,” Kenobi said, turning to her and raising an eyebrow, “But I’m not sure why you are so interested in criminal matters.”   
“Just curious, I guess,” Mara replied sheepishly. It seemed like the older man might be shrewder than his young cohort. She would have to tread more carefully around him. Unsure of what to say next, Mara pretended to be busy sorting a stack of papers.   
“Is there anything else you need organized?” she asked.  
“Thank you for asking,” Kenobi smiled, “But I really only need to go through these memos,” He held out a stack of papers.   
“I could help you with those,” Mara offered, hoping she didn’t sound too eager. Surely there must be something in one of those memos that named the rat.   
“Thanks, but I’ve got them,” he said.   
Damn, Mara thought, I’ll have to wait for him to set them down.   
Kenobi looked at the first memo, and then placed it on the desk. Mara reached toward it tentatively, glancing to make sure Kenobi wasn’t watching her. The memo read:  
Meet Vader at 4:00  
1800 Coruscant St.  
Vader. Of course.  
If any of Palpatine’s associates would be a rat fink it would be him. Mara had only encountered Darth Vader a few times, but she disliked the man intensely. He had always delivered on his promises, but he had such a disdain toward Palpatine and his inner circle that Mara couldn’t help but distrust him. Well, it looked like her suspicions were justified.   
Mara snapped out of her thoughts to see Kenobi staring at her questioningly.   
“If there’s nothing else, Mr. Kenobi,” she said, “I think I’ll call it a day.”


	3. Chapter 3

Mara did not expect to see her cousin in Lando’s speakeasy. He hadn’t visited the place in years. Not since, well, not since he had been a member of the Death Star Gang. Yet there he was, sitting at the end of the bar, and she knew he had spotted her. Mara sauntered up to Talon, a sense of smugness overtaking her. It seemed he couldn’t change his spots so easily after all.   
“I thought you gave up on visiting establishments of ill repute,” she teased.  
Talon did not look amused.   
“Mara,” he said, “I know what you’re doing, and it needs to stop.”  
“What do you mean?” she asked.  
“You know exactly what I mean. The Death Star Gang, Palpatine. You’re playing a dangerous game, Mara.”   
“I’ve been playing a dangerous game my entire life, Tal. We both have,” she reminded him sharply.  
“And it’s time to bring it to an end.”  
“I can’t just leave.”  
“I did.”  
“Yes but, you were never as,” Mara paused, “deeply involved as I am.”   
“I see. Are you afraid of Palpatine, or is this out of some sort of sense of obligation?”  
With a sigh, Mara sat on the barstool next to her cousin.   
“Tal, is this the whole reason you came to Alderaan? To try to get me on the straight and narrow?”   
“No, that’s not the only reason…” Talon shifted his gaze away from Mara.   
“Look, I know you always looked out for me when we were kids, and I appreciate that, but I can look out for myself now. I’m a big girl, I buckle my own shoes and everything,” Mara smiled, hoping to lighten the mood.   
Talon half-heartedly returned the smile.  
“Just promise me you’ll be careful, okay?”  
“I promise,” Mara reassured him.   
And she meant it too. 

************************************************************************************************************

Ben Kenobi valued few things in life as much as his friendship with Luke Skywalker. He had watched Luke grow up from a boy into a young man, and to be honest, Luke was the closest thing Ben had to a son. It was a relationship he cherished above all others.  
That was why he was dreading his upcoming conversation with Luke so much.   
But, it had to be done. Luke was going to find out the truth sooner or later.   
So Ben invited Luke to his house for dinner. He decided that was the easiest way to get it over with.   
“So Luke,” Ben found himself saying over dinner, “ You know we are working on ferreting out the Death Star Gang.”  
“Is that what you wanted to talk to me about?” Luke asked.  
“Sort of. There is something I must ask of you, something I must ask you to do, and it won’t be easy. But believe me when I say it will be absolutely essential to corralling and ultimately ending the Death Star Gang, and bringing peace and safety to the streets of Alderaan.”  
Luke was now leaning forward, hands resting on his chin, his brow creased by a slight frown.   
“What is it?” he asked.   
“Well, as you know, I was very close to your father before you were born. I have told you a lot about our friendship and partnership.”  
“Yes…?” Luke looked concerned.   
“But I… haven’t exactly told you the whole story. You know how your mother died, of course.”  
“Of course.”  
“But when she first fell ill, your father was worried sick. As a police officer, he didn’t make a very high salary, and polio comes with a lot of expenses. I chipped in to help with your mother’s medical bills as much as I could, but eventually, even that wasn’t enough.”  
“It’s okay Ben,” Luke said, “You did everything you could. I understand.”   
“No Luke, you don’t understand,” Ben swallowed against the tightness in his chest, “Your father refused to let your mother go. He would do anything to save her. So, when money became an issue, he found a way to obtain it.”  
Luke was leaning forward now, resting his chin in his hands, but he said nothing.  
“Sheev Palpatine, the notorious gangster, made a deal with your father.”   
Luke’s jaw clenched.  
“He could give your father the money necessary to pay your mother’s medical bills, if your father could pay him off in time. Your father accepted. Luke…” Ben trailed off.   
By now Luke was staring in disbelief, his jaw hanging open. Ben steeled himself so he could spit out the next sentence.  
“Luke, your father is alive.”  
“What?” Luke gasped.   
“He’s a Mafioso.”   
Luke didn’t respond. He just looked stunned.   
“Your father is repaying his debt to Palpatine, Luke. He is in the Death Star Gang. He’s been going by the name Darth Vader. I’m so sorry.” Well, it was said now.   
“Are you serious?” Luke asked.  
“I’m afraid so, Luke. I’m sorry you had to find out this way.”  
“Why did you lie to me?”  
“What?”  
“You told me my father was dead.”  
“Luke,” Ben sighed, “What was I supposed to tell you? Was I supposed to tell an innocent child that his father was an evil man?”  
“So, you only decided to tell me now that I’m old enough?”  
“That’s… not entirely why I’m telling you this. I need your help capturing him.”  
“Capturing?”  
“Yes. We are flushing out the Death Star Gang once and for all, and well, I need someone who can gain Vader’s trust. You are his son. He will trust you.”  
“No,” Luke said, standing up.  
“Excuse me?” asked Ben.  
“Ben, you’re asking me to do something that I simply cannot do. I can’t manipulate my own father like that.”  
“What? Luke, this is the greater good we’re talking about here!”   
“I’m sorry, Ben, but I think it’s time for me to leave.”   
Within another word, Luke grabbed his coat and exited through the front door.   
Ben poured himself a glass of scotch and sank down in his easy chair, sighing.   
That certainly didn’t go as he planned.


End file.
